1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a broadcast-program-listing transmission device which transmits listings of broadcast programs to a plurality of terminal devices connected via a network or the like so as to show the listings of broadcast programs on display screens of the terminal devices, and particularly relates to a broadcast-program-listing transmission device which allows a listing of broadcast programs to be displayed according to user requests.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A listing of broadcast programs for television or the radio has been typically distributed to households by means of paper media such as newspapers. Progress in the use of networks such as the Internet, however, has made it possible to distribute a listing of broadcast programs via a network.
Conventionally, a listing of broadcast programs is transmitted via a network as follows. A service company affiliated with a broadcast station keeps listings of broadcast programs aired by this broadcast station in files by using the same format as a display format. Upon a request from a terminal device connected via a network, requested listings of broadcast programs are extracted from the files and sent to the terminal device via the network.
FIG. 1 is an illustrative drawing showing a conventional listing of broadcast programs stored in a file. As shown in FIG. 1, a listing of broadcast programs is kept in a file in the same format as a display format, so that a display can show an entire listing of broadcast programs for one week with respect to given time slots according to a schedule for the month. Listings of broadcast programs such as shown in FIG. 1 are sent via a network to a terminal device which requested the listings.
Upon receiving the listings of broadcast programs, the terminal device displays a listing on the display screen. By turning pages on the display screen, a user can search for a desired listing of broadcast programs on the display screen so as to obtain necessary information.
In this manner, a conventional configuration is that each broadcast station delivers listings of broadcast programs of its own station to terminal devices via a network. Because of this configuration, users cannot see and compare listings of broadcast programs between different stations simultaneously. That is, users cannot see a complete listing of all broadcast programs as they can see on a newspaper.
Further, since broadcast stations keep listings of broadcast programs in files by using a table format, even if there is a change in schedules due to unexpected big news, for example, it is not easy to modify the listings of broadcast programs stored in the files. This forces the broadcast station to transmit the listings of broadcast programs without making necessary modification, so that users cannot access correct information.
Moreover, a listing of broadcast programs for one week, which is shown on a display screen, has a fixed format. A user thus cannot display a listing of broadcast programs with respect to the user's desired date and time.
Also, the terminal device is not a device specifically designed for the purpose of accessing a listing of broadcast programs, but is merely a general-purpose terminal which is capable of being connected to a network. With such a configuration, the terminal device can only display a received listing of broadcast programs, and cannot provide the functions for searching for particular broadcast programs. That is, a user cannot search for broadcast programs which match the user's own interest.
Accordingly, there is a need for a broadcast-program-listing transmission device which can display a listing of broadcast programs in accordance with user requests on a display screen of a terminal device by transmitting the listing of broadcast programs to the terminal device connected via a network or the like.